January 1, Star Striker Vindicated Hours Before MASSIVE USA Showdown

Wyatt’s Take

• FIFA just saved Team USA’s World Cup dream by overturning a bogus red card against our top goal-scorer right before the biggest game of the tournament
• Belgium barely escaped a stunning upset by Senegal with a last-second penalty kick, showing they’re vulnerable and ready to be taken down
• Seattle is about to witness American soccer history as the USMNT fights to reach the quarterfinals for only the second time ever

Team USA’s momentum is building like a freight train after their commanding win over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32. And what looked like a devastating setback in the San Francisco Bay Area has turned into a major victory for American soccer.

Striker Folarin Balogun, who was controversially red-carded in the 64th minute of that 2-0 victory, will be back on the field Monday night against Belgium. FIFA just announced they’re overturning the suspension, and the timing couldn’t be better.

Balogun has been absolutely lethal for the U.S. squad throughout this tournament, notching his third World Cup goal in that Bosnia match. Without him, head coach Mauricio Pochettino would’ve been scrambling to rebuild his entire game plan.

The controversial red card sparked outrage across the country, and for good reason. According to reports, the play shouldn’t have even been flagged to head referee Raphael Claus, who made the call after a VAR review.

FIFA’s disciplinary code includes a provision allowing “the judicial body to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.” They used that authority to right a wrong and keep America’s best striker in the game.

“If the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement,” the rule states.

Now Pochettino can roll with his regular starting lineup instead of trying to patch together a makeshift offense. That’s huge.

Belgium barely survived their Round of 32 match against Senegal, and that should give Team USA plenty of confidence. Senegal was dominating with a 2-0 lead late in the second half before Belgium clawed back with clutch goals from Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans to force extra time.

Just when it looked like a penalty shootout was inevitable, Senegal committed a foul in their own box. Tielemans stepped up and buried the penalty kick to keep Belgium’s World Cup hopes alive.

But make no mistake — Belgium looked shaky, vulnerable, and very beatable.

The two teams will face off Monday night in Seattle, the same venue where the USMNT delivered an electric victory over Australia in the group stage. The atmosphere is expected to be even more intense this time around, with a spot in the quarterfinals on the line.

Only one U.S. team in history has reached the World Cup quarterfinals before. This squad is 90 minutes away from joining them.

Game Details:
When: Monday, July 6 at 8 p.m. ET
Where: Seattle Stadium, Seattle, Washington
TV: FOX
Stream: Watch on FOX One and FOX Sports

Wyatt Matters

This is what American grit looks like. When the refs got it wrong, our team didn’t just complain — they fought back through the proper channels and won. Now our guys get to step onto that field in Seattle with their best weapon ready to fire. Belgium should be worried. Middle America is rallying behind this team, and nothing fires up heartland fans like watching underdogs prove the doubters wrong on the world stage.